Traffic sign for road surfaces



NOV. 1, 1932. Ab P, WHlTEi 1,886,324

TRAFFIC SIGN FOB-ROAD sURFAcEs Filed Oct. 18, 1929 l NVENTOR atente' l, 193

ALEXANDER BUWHITE, OF CALDWELL, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TO EDWARD T. WILKINSON, OF. MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY v TRAFFIC SIGN FOR RGD SURFACES i appiieaiion inea october 1s, 1929. serial ita. 400,607.

My invention relates to the marking of surfaces of roads, for the guidance of vehicles and pedestrians and the further object of it is to provide an economical and durable marker or symbol that may be readily or quickly fixed in a road surface. A characteristic feature of the invention is that it comprises a marker adapted to become an integral part of the road body, after it is set lo or xed in position. In principle the invention comprehends the fabrication of an article comprised of a plate serving as aV symbol fixed in a bituminous mat-like base, the base u in turn being adapted to become fixed in the l5 road. The parts of the device, their relation in the combination and the manner in which they are put together, will be readily understood from the description herein and the annexed drawing which is a part of this au specification.

In the drawing, like reference characters refer to like parts in dierent gures.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a complete marker ready to be fixed on the road surface.

It is made up of a plate a fixed in a mat or shieldv of bituminous material in the form of two layers b and c united with an adhesive. Fig.-2 is a cross section of Fig. l on the line 2 2, showing the manner in which the f plate is heldin the mat on a base formed by K a union of the bituminous layer pieces b and 0. lin addition it shows the -filler element e in the recess under the exposed or symbol portionof the plate, the recess being formed by depressing the edges of the plate in order to provide the flanged edges d, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the plate before it is embedded in the mat base by i0 insertionof the fianged portion between the layer ieces Z) and c, as explained in the de* scription above of Figs. l and 2. It will be noted that this figure (Fig. 3) brings into view the ianges d and the holes f in the l plate.

Fig. 4 is a view in'cross section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3, bringing into view the recess e', which is filled with asphalt e as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional perspectivel view of an end por-tion of a completed lmarker showing a modification in the constructionl of the device in which the plate is a simple I fiat member` without the flanges and without the recess shown in Fig. 4. In this figure (No. 5) the plateal is shown as extending to an edge of the marker. A

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modified form of completed marker, consisting of a single piece mat b in which the plate ais fixed 6g. in place by being inserted through two parallel slits i in the mat after the manner of a shirrin string.

Fig. is a sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6 in which it is shown that when the a5 plate a is inserted through the slits, the portion of the mat between theslits is depressed and becomes a cushion lfor the exposed portion ofthe plate that constitutes the symbol. ln this figure z, is the portion of each side of the plate inserted into the slits and f is a hole in the plate.

As already pointed out the article of the invention consists of two elementary parts which for convenience of description are designated the plate, shown by a in the drawing preferably made of metal and the mat or shield shown in the drawing as a union of b and c. preferably made by uniting in a laminated base body, pieces of paper felt or .S0 burlap which have been saturated and coated with a bitumen compound such as asphalt of high melting point. It is desirable to coat also one surface of the layer pieces with coarse sand or granulated stone and press the stone particles into the body of the material. These layer pieces (I) and c) are placed together so that the stone surface of one contacts with the asphalt coated surface of the other, thus incorporating the mineral of the body formed by their union. In the preferred form, as shown in Figure 1, the upper layer pieceb is cut away in the center to expose the plate, the flanged edges d (Fig. 3) of which are enveloped between the two layer pieces. The recess under the plate shown by ye" in Fig. 4, resulting from depressing the edges to form ythe iianges is filled with asphalt, vshown by e in Fig. 2, making a cushion for the exposed partof the plate which exposed part is a symbol of color contrasting with that of the road surface. The two pieces constituting the layers are attached together with a suitable adhesive, such as asphalt, dissolved or substantially liquefied, in a solution made of crude rubber and high volatile gasoline. That is to say, the agency for liquefying the asphalt for the adhesive is a solution made by dissolving, say two or three ounces of rubber in a gallon of gasoline.- Tests have shown that the rubber element permeates the mat body and serves to arrest the tendency of the bituminous substance to spread under the pressure of vehicle wheels. While the fibrous material as a matrix in the mat, aids in serving the same purpose, i. e., to prevent spreading, it can be omitted. The union with the plate is then effected by simply pressing-the plate with anges omitted into a relatively thin sheet-like body of warm asphalt, form; ed of a thickness of, say, three eighths of an inch, by passing the asphalt while pliable from heat through a pair of rolls. In all cases it is desirable to incorporate the granular stone particles in the mat body. The holes or perforations in the plate as shown by f and f in the drawing are a very potential means of holding the plate in position, because the asphalt, by filling the holes, establishes a riveting elect, resisting lateral movement. Obviously the holes may be varied as to number and size. Obviously also the plate may be of any desired size or pattern, circular or angular and a multiplicity thereof 'may be fixed in a single mat to create a pattern or figure. Obviously also it may be made of hard rubber, colored to contrast with the road surface, as well as metal, especially brass or white metal compositions.

mal road surface,

rl`he adhesive hereinbefore described is suitable for attaching the marker to the road.

In preparing it there should be enough rubber used to produce a consistency like that of the white of an egg, say three ounces or less to a gallon. Coat the under side of the marker, as with a brush and allow from three to five minutes to elapse for the adhesive to become gummy enough to insure quick if not almost instant gripping.

In the claims below, the word symbol is used to refer to any plate or body of material or sheet able to withstand the wear and tear of traffic conditions, and having a color contrasting with the-prevailing color of the road surface so as to adapt it to be useful as a trafiic signal or mark, it being understood that the said plate is essentially a non-bituminous element.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a traiiic marker comprising a homogeneous body sheet of bituminous material throughout adapted to be adhesively fastened to a norand an exposed symbol Lese-,sae

marker held within and terial of the body in a position with its edges shielded by the body material, said symbol marker being out of direct contact with the road surface.

2. A. traic marker comprising, in combination, a signal symbol and a homogeneous body sheet of bituminous road surfacing material, the symbol being secured to the body sheet and the body sheet being adapted to be adhesively fastened to a normal road surface and to become substantially incorporated therewith, forming a new bituminous surface, at slight elevation t0 the original road surface in which the said symbolis exposed.

In witness whereof l have afIiXed my signature.

ALEXANDER P. WHITE.

secured by the may lac 

